Captain Mahela Jayawardene hailed new spinning sensation Ajantha Mendis after he demolished India to help Sri Lanka retain the Asia Cup.
Jayawardene said he was not surprised by Mendis' magical 6-13 in eight unplayable overs as India, chasing 274 to win Sunday's final, were skittled out for 173.

Sensational spinner Ajantha Mendis took six wickets for just nine runs to help Sri Lanka beat India by 100 runs in the final here on Sunday to successfully defend the Asia Cup title.
As expected the 23-year-old spinner mesmerised the Indian batsmen with career-best figures to cause a slump which saw India lose nine wickets for 97 runs and were bowled out for 173 in 39.3 overs.

Sri Lanka's wicket-keeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara Saturday said Asia leads international cricket as the financial hub and custodian of the game which has pioneered unprecedented globalisation.
"Asia have transformed from minnows of world cricket to the true powerhouse of cricket and we are now the economic driving force behind the world cricket," said Sangakkara at a seminar marking the silver jubilee of the Asian Cricket Cricket Council (ACC).

Pakistan crushed a hapless Bangladesh by ten wickets in the inconsequential last Super League match in the Asia Cup after paceman Abdur Rauf took a career-best 3-24 at National Stadium here on Friday.
The 29-year-old rattled Bangladesh's top order to help Pakistan bowl out the visitors for just 115 in 38.2 overs after the tourists won the toss and elected to bat in overcast conditions.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina hit sparkling half-centuries to take India into the final of the Asia Cup with a six-wicket over Sri Lanka in a Super League match here Thursday.
Skipper Dhoni hit a 62-ball 67 while Raina scored 54 off 66 balls to inspire India's successful run chase of Sri Lanka's 308-8 with a 99-run third wicket stand in a tight match at the National Stadium.

Sri Lanka's spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan said his immediate target at international level is to overhaul Pakistani bowler Wasim Akram's world record of one-day wickets.
"I want to take 30-odd wickets to get to Wasim's world record in one-day cricket and try out for 1,000 wickets in Tests," Muralitharan said before his team's crucial Super League match against hosts Pakistan in the Asia Cup.

(Corrects birthday to Monday from Sunday)
KARACHI (Reuters) - Swashbuckling Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya celebrates his 39th birthday on Monday with no retirement plans in sight.
Sri Lanka's highest test scorer and the second most capped player in one-day internationals, Jayasuriya demonstrated he had lost none of his flair by smashing 72 against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup on Wednesday.

Virendar Sehwag punished Pakistan's bowling with an aggressive hundred to lead India to a comfortable six-wicket win in the final Group B Asia Cup match here on Thursday.
Sehwag smashed a 95-ball 119 and Suresh Raina hit a 68-ball 84 during their 198-run second wicket stand to help India overhaul Pakistan's 299-4 with 7.5 overs to spare.

Unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis took a career-best 5-22 to help Sri Lanka overcome a fighting United Arab Emirates by 142 runs in the final Group A match played at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Thursday.
Mendis triggered a collapse in the UAE batting ranks as the qualifiers lost eight wickets for 41 runs to slump from a threatening 107-2 to be bowled out for 148 in 36.3 overs chasing Sri Lanka's 290-9.